Game board structure



May 22, 1956 Filed May 15 1955 K. SMITH 2,746,755

GAME BOARD STRUCTURE 2 Sheeis-Sheex 1 u INVENTOR Y@ fw@ May 22, 1956 w. K. SMITH 2,745,755

GAME BOARD STRUCTURE Filed May l5, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheen 2 f @w z @J4 Z" i Y /7 /72/ v{-Elimim f) /3 /j INVENTOR WKSm z' LA 13% ATTORNEY Yi/w A /Z f /ZzZ-I 7- UnitedStates Patent `O 2,746,755 Y GAME BoARn STRUCTURE wiui K. senin, salinas, Calif. Application May 13,, '1953, "Serial No. 354,732 s claimaff (Claris-11's) `This invention relates to a no ve'l 'game board structure embodying two separate game structures capable of being interchangeably positioned 'for ilse v'and wherein the parts may be readily 'dismantled' for vcompact -storage when not in use. v f y More particularly, it is an aim of the present 'invention to provide a game board structure which may be quickly assembled or dismantled -without the use of 'tools or fastenings and wherein all of lthe parts cooperate in maintaining the structure in an assembled position with either of two playing surfaces of one of the parts disposed in an uppermost position for use.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully'apparent from the following description of the-dravvingsillustrating a'pre'sent- 1y preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein: f

Figure 1 is a top lplan view of the assembled game structure with one of the playing surfaces thereof in an uppermost position for use;

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the other surface positioned for use; i v

Figure 3 is an end elevational view looking from left to right of Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the game board structure taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 4-4 of Figure l;

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view of the game board structure taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is an exploded plan view on a reduced scale showing the parts forming the game board structure dismantled, and

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional View taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 7-7 of Figure 3.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the novel game board structure in its ,entirety is designated generally 10 and includes complementary side walls 11 and 12, an end wall 13 and oor member or panel 14.

Each of the side walls 11 and 12 has an end 15 which is disposed at an acute angle to a bottom edge 16 thereof. The end of each wall 11 and 12 is shown provided with two studs 17 anchored in and projecting outwardly therefrom and having heads 18 at the outer ends of said studs. However, a single stud 17 could be employed. An elongated cleat or strip 19 is secured to an inner side of each of the walls 11 and 12, said cleats being disposed adjacent the bottom edges 16 and with their axes disposed substantially at right angles to the wall ends 15. The cleats 19 extend from the wall ends 15 and terminate at points spaced from the opposite ends of said walls. Each of the cleats 19 is provided with an upwardly projecting pin 20, which pins are preferably loctated adjacent the last mentioned ends of said cleats andare spaced from the walls, as illustrated in Figures l, 2 and 5. y

As best seen in Figure 6, the end wall 13, adjacent each end thereof is provided with a pair of transversely ice 2 spaced openings 21, each of which openings is provided with a slot 22 extending from a portion thereof outwardly toward the adjacent end of the wall'1'3.

The lioor panel 14 has opposite sides 23 and 24 defining distinctive playing surfaces which maybe interchangeably positioned in an uppermost positionfor use, as illustrated in Figures l and 2, each of which is provided adjacent one end thereof with a playing area, which areas are designated 23a and 24a, respectively. Each side or playing surface 23 and 24 is provided adjacent its oppo'- site end with a pair of transversely spaced scoring blocks 23h and 24b, respectively. The floor panel 14 'at a point spaced from its ends and inwardly of the scoring blocks 23b and 24b, is provided adjacent its side edges with transversely aligned openings '25.

Assuming that the game board structure 10 is dis mantled, as illustrated in Figure 6, it will be .readily apparent that the structure as thus dismantled may lbe readily stored compactly and as the game board struc# ture is intended to be made in various sizes including lengths of three or four feet, it will be readily apparent that thedismantled structure lmay be very 'conveniently 'stored much more readily than `the assembled structure as illustrated in Figures v1 lto 5.

To assemble the dismantled `game board structure 10, the `walls 11 and 12 are disposed substantially parallel with the cleats 1.9 facing inwardly and the heads 18 of the studs are then inserted through the end wall openings 21 and the walls 11 and 12 are displaced away from one another so that the exposed portions of the studs 17 will engage their restricted slots 22, the width of which is less l than the diameters of the heads 18. The walls 11 and 12 are assembled to the end wall 13 with the bottom edges 16 of said walls 11 and 12 in complementary positions. The floor panel 14 with either side 23 or 24 thereof uppermost is then positioned between the walls 11 and 12 on the cleats 19 and with the pins 20 extending upwardly through the openings 25. This connection of the pins and openings prevents the lioor panel 14 from sliding longitudinally of the side walls 11 and 12 away from the end wall 13 and retains the end of the floor panel having the playing areas 23 and 24 in abutting engagement with said end wall 13 and additionally prevents movement of the side walls 11 and 12 toward or away from one another, so that the studs 17 are retained in engagement with the slots 22 to maintain the side walls 11 and 12 connected to the end wall 13.

It will be readily apparent that a game may be played with either playing surface 23 or 24 uppermost where balls or marbles are rolled up the inclined uppermost playing surface between the uppermost scoring blocks 23b or 24b toward the end wall 13 and toward the playing area 23a or 24a, each of which may be provided with recesses for holding other marbles or spheres intended to be dislodged from said recesses by the propelled marble or sphere, not shown. Scores may be tallied on the uppermost score blocks 23b or 24b. The floor panel 14 may be merely lifted out of engagement with the pins 20 and inverted yto change the playing surface for the play of adifferent game.

The cleats 19 are inclined relatively to the bottom edges 16 so that the door panel 14 is inclined downwardly and away from the end wall 13, as best illustrated in Figure 4, and said end wall 13 is inclined upwardly and inwardly. The score blocks 23b or 24b located on the underside of the floor panel 14 are disposed beyond the lower ends of the cleats 19 and above the level of Ithe bottom edges 16 which rest on a suitable supporting surface along with the bottom'edge of the end wall 13 for supporting the assembled game board structure.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A game board structure of the character described comprising a pair of complementary side walls having complementary bottom edges and complementary ends, an end wall detachably engaging said ends of the side walls, studs projecting from said side wall ends and having headed outer ends, said end wall having openings for the passage of said stud heads therethrough and slots extending from said openings toward adjacent ends of said end wall for engaging the studs between said side wall ends and the stud heads, said slots being of a width less than the width of the stud heads for detachably connecting said side wall ends to the end wall and for positoning the side walls substantially parallel to one another, said side walls having longitudinally extending cleats on the inner sides thereof, a oor panel defining a playing surface having portions resting on said cleats and supported thereby between said side walls and with one end of the oor panel disposed against an inner side of the end wall and longitudinal edges of the oor panel abutting the side walls to retain the studs in engagement with remote ends of said slots, said tloor panel having openings, and pins projecting upwardly from the cleats and engaging in the oor panel openings for detachably interlocking said floor panel and cleats.

2. A game board structure as in claim l, said cleats extending from said end wall in converging relationship to bottom edges of the side walls for supporing the oor panel at an incline downwardly and away from the end wall.

3. A game board structure as in claim 2, said side edgesfor positioning said end wall at an incline in the opposite direction to the inclination of said oor panel.

4. A game board structure of the character described comprising spaced complementary side walls, an end wall, a oor panel detachably disposed between said side walls for retaining the side walls in spread relation to one another, means attached to the side walls for supporting the oor panel therebetween, and means slidably connecting the end wall to complementary ends of the side walls and providing a limited lost motion of the side walls relative to the end wall upon removal of the floor panel to permit detachment of the end wall from the side walls by displacement of the side walls toward one another, said side walls being loosely connected to the end wall by said connecting means, and said tloor panel, when positioned between the side walls, cooperating with the connecting means to secure the side walls immovably relative to the end wall.

5. A game board structure as in claim 4, and means disengagingly connecting said fioor panel to the side walls by displacement of the floor panel toward the iioor panel supporting means to prevent sliding movement of the oor panel relative to the side walls and end wall in directions toward and away from the end wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 653,514 Kasschau July 10, 1900 1,176,679 Ingraham Mar. 21, 1916 1,300,671 Still Apr. 15, 1919 2,079,330 Norinsberg et al May 4, 1937 2,610,330 Goodyear Sept. 9, 1952 

